"Just want to say one more time what an incredible time we had with you and everyone else in our group and just every experience in Belize."
-- Stacy Bynum, Colorado

Introduction

The inauagural SAVE THE FROGS! Belize Eco-Tour was held July 11th to 20th, 2013 and wow what a trip! The ecotour was led by SAVE THE FROGS! Founder Dr. Kerry Kriger; SAVE THE FROGS! Advisory Committee Chairman Michael Starkey; and Sacramento City College Professor David Wyatt. Belize is teeming with life. From birds, to bats, to bugs, we saw many fascinating animals. Frogs of course were the target and we saw 16 species! We visited the Tropical Education Center; the Mayan ruins Xunantunich and Lubantaan; the Blue Creek Rainforest; the Toucan Ridge Ecology and Education Society; the beautiful Caribbean beaches of South Water Caye; and the Smithsonian Institute's field station at Carrie Bowe Caye. Does that sound fun? Enjoy the photos below, and click here if you want to accompany us on our next trip to Belize.

Tropical Education Center (TEC)

It was great flying in to Belize and seeing so much land covered with forest, even just outside the capital city.

The TEC is situated on a large plot of tropical savannah and is a great place to immerse yourself in the wilds of Central America. We were fortunate to arrive there the day after a huge rainfall, so the place was teeming with life, including lots of frogs!

This is where we would eat. At night the red-eyed treefrogs were in the trees next to the trail.

Frog art by Dr. Kriger:

This parrot snake was next to the trail:

We found this Mexican Treefrog (Smilisca baudinii) living up to his name:

They aren't bright, but we still love the Leptodactylus melanotus:

We sighted this coffee snake:

A vulture:

A Red-Cheeked Mud Turtle (Kinosternon scorpiodes):

A Gulf Coast Toad (Bufo valliceps):

An anole at its nighttime perch:

Dave Wyatt photographed this Rufous-Tailed Hummingbird:

We were happy to see SAVE THE FROGS! posters up at the Belize Zoo (across the road from the TEC), where Michael has given presentations in the past:

Xunantunich

Even though frogs were the target on this tour to Belize, we had to get some culture in as well! We were able to visit two amazing Maya archaeological sites, Xunantunich and Lubaantun. Xunantunich is a sacred site to the Maya and it was a privilege to visit this beautiful monument.

We took a ferry across this beautiful river to arrive at the site:

Life flourishes at these Maya monuments! Here's a Black Spiny-Tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura similis):

This adult male Black Spiny-Tailed Iguana (Ctenosaura similis) lives in a burrow near the steps:

Blue Creek Rainforest

On July 12th, we traveled south to the remote village of Blue Creek, which is located in the Toledo District. Blue Creek is inhabited by a community of Mopan Maya people. From the road we hiked a third of a mile to the Blue Creek Rainforest Lodge, which is located in old growth rainforest. The trail to the lodge parallels the aquamarine creek from where the village gets its name. We stayed at Blue Creek for three nights. By day we swam in the creek and explored the rainforest and the cave systems that are scattered throughout the area.

At night we set off into the forest to search for nocturnal wildlife. The diversity of life is incredible at Blue Creek, but the animals are hard to find! We found a few species of frogs, geckos, and many different types of invertebrates. This is a Coleonix Banded Gecko, photo courtesy Choti Singh:

We had a fascinating ethnobotany hike to learn about all the uses of the local flora.

Toads are quite common at Blue Creek and we found two species: Marine Toads (Bufo marinus) and Gulf Coast Toads (Bufo valliceps). This one is clearly a Gulf Coast Toad because it has a spiny dorso-lateral ridge.

Bats!

Scorpion:

The Blue Creek Lodge is a great place to relax, swim and birdwatch during the day:

This is where we would eat. One day Dr. Kriger gave a frog class after lunch all about the chytrid fungus. Then we went back to birdwatching, swimming and hanging out!

These bats were hanging out on a tree above the river on the far shore from the lodge:

The birding got going when a large raptor was spotted far overhead:

Dave Wyatt led daily bird hikes (this is in the village):

The Blue Creek Villagers set out their beautiful arts and crafts:

Michael shows the kids a toad. Michael gave a presentation at the local school in 2012 and all the kids know him as the frog guy.

Dr. Kriger jammed on some bamboo flute at Blue Creek and quickly drew a crowd of adoring fans!

"Each place we went was a beautiful and amazing experience in its own right. Put all together in such a well organized manner just made it all the more of a wonderful experience. We have not stopped talking about it since we got home. And I have spent the last 2 days straight going through all the pictures. We took about 1,400! Each one looks like a postcard. Once again, not enough time to thank you enough and tell you how much we loved the whole experience and are so very grateful for all the hard work and preparation you all put into planning this for us. It was a totally positive experience for both Jared and I. We both felt so welcome by everyone in our group and have already connected with several on Facebook, sharing tons of pictures-which is really fun. Thank you, thank you, thank you!!! "
-- Stacy Bynum, Colorado

Lubantaan

On the 16th we left Blue Creek and visited another Maya archaeological site called Lubaantun. This site is known as being a spiritual center for the Maya.

On the way out from the site our bus braked for this gorgeous Vine Snake (Oxybelis fulgidus), which was slowly crossing the road:

Michael jumped out of the bus and moved it safely off the road.

As we were photographing the snake, about 30 villagers congregated around us to see what all the commotion was about. Snakes are highly feared in Belize and many are killed indiscriminately. Michael told the kids a bit about snake ecology and conservation and then let the go. Sankes belong in the wild, and an experience with a wild snake is far more exciting then seeing a captive, confined snake.SAVE THE SNAKES!

Toucan Ridge Ecology & Education Society (TREES)

TREES is a biological station and eco-lodge run by Canadian biologists Vanessa Kilburn and Mathieu Charette. Vanessa did her masters research on chytrid fungus and took Dr. Kriger looking for endangered turtles on Canada's Sunshine Coast in 2009. We were happy to hear about her and Mathieu moving to Belize and opening TREES in 2012!

The housing at TREES has an unbeatable view:

The frogs are quite abundant at TREES and they have many rare species that live on the property. We found a gorgeous Mottled Chirping Frog (Eleutherodactylus leporus), which is a threatened species in Belize:

What luck! We found the rare Maya Mountain Frog (Lithobates juliani)! This species is endemic to Belize. What a beautiful frog! We also found a juvenile far from the stream in a lime orchard. This frog is poorly understood but with more research hopefully we can unravel the secrets behind this amazing frog!

We found this beautiful Vaillant's frog (Rana vaillanti) under water in the nearby river.

One great thing about TREES is the amazing food! Our host Mathieu is both a biologist and a French Canadian with a whole lot of cooking experience.

At the Toucan Ridge Ecology and Education Society we were given the special opportunity to mist net for bats. Our first bat of the night was quite a special one! With a two foot wingspan, the Greater Fishing Bat Noctilio leporinus is the second largest bat in Central America. It was such a joy to find this beautiful bat in our net. It turns out that this individual is a mother and had a baby somewhere off in the Belizean forest! We did some measurements, gave her a health check and let her go on with her life.

"Dave Wyatt was amazing - a treasure! He really made the trip for us. He has such a breadth of knowledge about the natural history and biology of the country as well as a love of the people and the culture. It was infectious."

This is a Silky Short-Tailed Bat (Carollia sowelli):

One night at TREES we found a large, adult female Blunt Headed Tree Snake (Imantodes cenchoa). These slender snakes are frog specialists and love to eat frog eggs that hang from leaves in the forest canopy. Photo by Michael Starkey.

Dave found this golden hooded tanager:

Dave photographed this White-Necked Jacobin...

...and this White-Collared Mannakin:

After breakfast Dr. Kriger gave a music lesson and we jammed:

"My special moment had to have been musical - hearing Kerry play his flute seated on the top of Xunantunich and the drumming session at TREES."

South Water Caye

The snorkeling was great, as we had warm water, clear visibility and a huge aquatic biodiversity. Dave Wyatt photographed these bonefish...

...and these grunts:

Choti Singh photographed this ray:

Q: Did you have a favorite moment on the trip?
A: "There were many: Seeing the large spotted ray while snorkeling, catching bats in the mist nets, going on the Ethnobotany hike with the Mayan man and then being invited to his home to see how he and his family live in the jungle, hiking to the Shangri-La swimming area with Will at TREES, learning to play drums at TREES with Kerry and others, Belize Zoo at night, catching the Vine Snake on the highway, talking with Michael, Kerry and Dave about technical biological issues. Thank you for a great experience. I feel fortunate to have had this experience and getting to see the "real" Belize. I am recommending this trip to others."

Coconut time:

Home for a couple nights:

The view out the back was mangroves and the waves breaking on the waves breaking. A gentle ocean breeze was blowing.

Michael playing Bhoopali (a 4,000 year old melody from northern India) to the mangroves:

On the final day of the eco-tour we visited the Smithsonian Institute's Carrie Bow Field Station site.

Caribbean dream:

The field station's manager welcomed us to the island:

A marine biologist gave us an update on the status of Caribbean reefs and told us about some of the scientific programs conducted at the station:

Choti Singh photographed these frangipani:

Carrie Bowe Caye was a great place to relax for a few minutes before snorkeling out in the open sea.

"Can I stay?"

Here's the view we had leaving the island, and the view you may one day have while arriving! Visit this page to learn about our next SAVE THE FROGS! Belize Ecotour.

Sunsets on South Water Caye were beautiful. This pier made for a great place to relax and play music:

This is the village in South Water Caye:

Dinner, South Water Caye style:

Nighttime was perfect for looking at the stars, relaxing, watching the full moon reflect off the water, looking for small sharks in the shallows (yes they were small and friendly!), playing music or twirling glowpoi at the beach:

Dave Wyatt photographed this Ghost Crab:

South Water Caye MemoryTropical breeze
Wind sounds in trees
Moon illuminating the night
Magnificent frigatebird in flight
Knee deep in water
Small sharks swim the shallows
Energy harmonized as the universe circles
Bamboo flute in the mists of time
Lightning out at sea
Reflections on the rolling tides.
-- Dr. Kerry Kriger, South Water Caye, Belize, July 2013

Other Places We Visited In Belize

Here are a few of the awesome places in Belize we visited before and after the ecotour. If you are considering spending some extra time in Belize before or after a future SAVE THE FROGS! Belize Eco-tour, let us know and we are happy to provide suggestions.

Cahal Pech

Cahal Pech is a nice little Mayan site within walking distance of San Ignacio, one of Belize's main towns.

Caracol

Before the eco-tour began, Kerry, Michael and Dave visited the beautiful rainforest and ruins of Caracol in western Belize. For logistical reasons, we can't take groups there, but we did want to show you a few photos because the place is amazing!

Clarissa Falls

Clarissa Falls makes for a nice day trip from San Ignacio, the swimming is great!

Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker has blue water and some nice spots to kayak in the mangroves.

Airport

You'll end up there in all likelihood, so you may as well get yourself a drum!